Can Men Celebrate Vat Savitri?

You will be taken aback if you see a man preparing to celebrate Vat Savitri. Won’t you be? Vat Savitri Purnima is one of the most traditionally celebrated festivals of India wherein married women pray for their husbands’ longer life by observing a ritual fast and other customs. It is celebrated by married women only because the Vedic legend regarding the same is associated with a chaste woman named Savitri.

Legend:

Originally the legend is narrated in the Mahabharata by the sage Markandeya to King Yudhishthira who desires to know a woman whose devotional and morals matched that of Draupadi.

A childless King Asvapati of the Madra Kingdom performed severe penances and prayed to Surya the sun god (also known as Savitr) in order to have a child. By the god’s blessing, a female child was born and named Savitri as she was boon from Savitr, the sun god. She was inclined to leading a spiritual life as she was born out of her father’s sever tapasya (penance). Therefore, no ordinary man found her suitable for marriage. Years later she met Satyavan, son of the blind king Dyumatsena of the Salwa Kingdom and decided to marry him, unaware of the fact that he was going to die in a year. Her father as informed by Narada Muni disapproved of her marriage with Satyavan but she said if she were to choose a man, she would do it once as she led an ascetic life.

Finally they married and a year late Satyavan terribly fell sick. He was in Savitri’s lap seated under a banyan tree awaiting the arrival of Yama, the death god. However, the Yamadutas (messengers of Yama) arrived to take his life. She protested and asked for Yama to appear Himself. Impressed with her devotion Lord Yama appeared and asked her for three wishes. She asked Him to bless her father-in-law with eyesight, a hundred children for her father and the same for her and Satyavan. Yama didn’t agree to her third wish; life for Satyavan. The Lord Yama asked her again to ask for any three boons (forgetting to tell her not to mention the life of Satyavan). She immediately asked for life of Satyavan, praising him (Yama) for His being infallible in keeping His words. He had to return the life of Satyavan.

On this day, married women follow in the footsteps of Savitri and pray for the long life of their husbands. They rigidly observe fast for their husbands throughout the night until next morning. The next morning women break their fast and offer charity to Brahmins. Women engage in the worship of a banyan (Vata) tree by offering water, spreading red powder (kumkum), wrapping cotton threads round its trunks. Finally they circumambulate seven times round it.

But can the married men celebrate Vat Savitri? The answer may be yes.

How can the married men celebrate Vat Savtri?

The married men of course don’t have to follow the custom the way it is practiced by their wives. However, husbands can celebrate this Purnima with a sense of gratitude toward their wives who observe fast for them. It is difficult for women engage in household works and cooking without having food for the entire day. Husbands can celebrate it by being grateful to their wives for doing everything to maintain harmony in their home. You can organize a Vat Savitri puja at your home in the name of your wife. This would be a perfect gift to honor her efforts in everything. Also you can get her a nice sari and other traditional jewelry. Despite these gifts, your wife would be more pleased by your love for her.

Sponsor Ads

• Ad Space Available - Rent it Now!

Report this Page

Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

Share on APSense

Comments